332 MELANCHOLY EESULTS OF REBELLION. Chap. XVL 



cultivation of his fields, now enriched with the 

 blood and bodies of his countrymen. 



As I passed the site of the old camp I sat on 

 the outside of my boat smoking my cigar in the 

 cool air of the evening, and musing upon the e vents 

 of the preceding years. The wind at the time 

 blew softly from the south, and before it reached 

 the river on which I was sailing it had to pass 

 over the site of the old encampment. The first 

 puff that reached me almost made me sick, and it 

 has nearly the same effect on me even now when 

 I think of it as I write. Although I had seen 

 none of the executions which had taken place a 

 short time before, I did not require any one to 

 inform me that this was the " field of blood." 

 Here hundreds of headless bodies scarcely covered, 

 or only with an inch or two of earth, lay in a 

 state of decomposition, and the stench from them 

 filled and polluted the air. Here, then, was the 

 end of the Shanghae rebellion, which, at one time, 

 was so much lauded and encouraged by foreigners 

 at that port. The country was devastated for 

 miles round, the city lay in ruins, thousands of the 

 peaceful inhabitants were rendered homeless and 

 friendless, and the authors of this state of things, 

 who used to strut about dressed in the richest 

 silks and satins (which they plundered from the 

 shops and houses of the wealthy), smoke opium, 

 and make a profession of regard for the Christian 

 religion, were now either skulking fugitives, or 

 had atoned with their blood for their crimes. 



